RE: Amazing Tendaguru and the most prolific localities in the world

[Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

Mike Taylor wrote:

> At SVPCA 2004, Khristan Remes claimed that "Barosaurus" _africanus_ is 
> generically distinct from all
> other sauropods, though closer to _Barosaurus_ than to anything else, and 
> advocated the use of the "available name" _Tornieria_ -- a re-use which I 
> am not sure clarifies matters.

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. wrote:

> Upchurch et al. (2004), in Dinosauria II, advocate the use of _Tornieria_ 
> for "Barosaurus" _africanus_.

Yep, because _Tornieria africana_ is the type species for _Tornieria_.  
_Tornieria_ is the replacement name for _Gigantosaurus_ Fraas, 1908, which 
was preoccupied by a British sauropod genus, _Gigantosaurus_ Seeley, 1869 
(type _G. megalonyx_).  Thus, _Gigantosaurus africanus_ (a diplodocid) 
became _Tornieria africana_, and _Gigantosaurus robustus_ became _Tornieria 
robusta_, and then _Janenschia robusta_ (since it clearly is not a 
diplodocid).

> _Janenschia robusta_ (basal titanosaurian), _Tendaguria tananiensis_ (weird 
> but
> not  certain if it is basal sauropod or neosauropod),

_J. robusta_ is known from limb bones, and _T. tanzaniensis_ from vertebrae 
that were previously referred to _J. robusta_.  Both the limbs and the 
vertebrae come from a very heavily-built sauropod, so these two sauropods 
may prove to be the same after all.  Bonaparte et al. (2000) split the 
material into two genera and species on account of the lack of association 
of the material.  The procoelous vertebrae that were once included in _J. 
robusta_ were excluded from both species.  _J. robusta_ is currently 
regarded as a titanosaur based upon titanosaurian characters in the limb 
elements.  _T. tanzaniensis_ shows a combination of basal sauropod and 
neosauropod characters in the presacral vertebrae, and its affinities are 
unclear.  The dorsals of _T. tanzaniesis_ are certainly very weird, with 
puny neural spines and huge transverse processes.  Bonaparte et al. (2000) 
put it in its own family (Tendaguriidae), but nobody has followed suit, 
AFAIK.

> _Dicraeosaurus hansemanni_, _D. sattleri_.  So, like the Morrison, you
> couldn't swing a dead coelurosaur without hitting another damn sauropod...

In the case of the Tenaguru, you'd be just as likely to swing a small 
abelisaur.  :-)


Cheers

Tim